Provides practical guidance to community-based organizations on evaluating and improving their programs. While the manual focuses on program evaluation conducted in-house by the community-based organization (CBO) staff, it also provides guidance on recognizing when the services of an external evaluator might be needed. CBO staff get information on: (1) understanding program evaluation basics, including the function of formative and summative evaluations; (2) framing the program evaluation in terms of needs being addressed, audience being targeted, and factors influencing program success; (3) defining goals and objectives, including choosing goals that are consistent with needs and selecting meaningful indicators and outcomes; (4) using quantitative and qualitative data that are both relevant to program objectives and convincing to program sponsors; (5) finding the evidence through various means, including direct program observation, interviews, and surveys; (6) interpreting and reporting the data as well as preparing an effective formal evaluation report; and (7) using the basic evaluation design to expand programs. A case study of an effective CBO program evaluation and samples of a final evaluation report, a proposal for program expansion, and an annual progress report give CBO staff real examples of how to apply the principles of program evaluation.
